Patent US3884049A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US6187680B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6187680B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method/structure for creating aluminum wirebound pad on copper BEOL
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1998-10-07
•
Granted: 2001-02-13
•
Expires: 2018-10-07
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides a method for fabricating an integrated circuit (IC) structure having an Al contact in electrical communication with Cu wiring embedded in the initial semiconductor wafer. In accordance with the method of the present invention, the Al contact is formed in areas of the IC structure which contain or do not contain an underlying region of Cu wiring. The present invention also provides a method of interconnecting the fabricated structure to a semiconducting packaging material through the use of a wirebond or Controlled Collapse Chip Connection (C4) solder.
Inventors
- 👤 Gregory Costrini
- 👤 Ronald Dean Goldblatt
- 👤 John Edward Heidenreich, III
- 👤 Thomas Leddy McDevitt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 13:53
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W72/00; H10W72/01; H10W72/019; H10W70/00; H10W70/01; H10W70/05; H10W72/012; H10W72/20; H10W72/221; H10W72/241; H10W72/242; H10W72/251; H10W72/252; H10W72/29; H10W72/50; H10W72/531; H10W72/536; H10W72/551; H10W72/552; H10W72/5522; H10W72/5525; H10W72/59; H10W72/90; H10W72/941; H10W72/9415; H10W72/951; H10W72/952; H10W72/981; H10W72/983; H10W74/00; H10W74/10; H10W74/131; H10W74/147
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
178 words
A method for forming an aluminum (Al) contact in electrical communication with copper (Cu) wiring comprising: (a) forming a passivating layer on an integrated circuit (IC) semiconductor wafer containing Cu wiring embedded therein; (b) forming terminal via openings through said passivating layer to expose said Cu wiring; (c) forming a barrier layer at least over said exposed Cu wiring, on the side walls of said terminal via openings and on regions of said barrier layer near said terminal via openings; (d) forming an Al stack on said barrier layer at least in said terminal via openings and on regions of the barrier layer near said terminal via openings; (e) patterning and etching said Al stack and said barrier layer; (f) forming a second passivating layer over said patterned Al stack; and (g) providing second openings in said second passivating layer so as to expose regions of said patterned Al stack located on top of said Cu wiring whereby said Cu wiring is protected from environmental exposure or attack by etching chemistries and from the problem of Cu—Al intermixing.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
178 words
A method for forming an aluminum (Al) contact in electrical communication with copper (Cu) wiring comprising: (a) forming a passivating layer on an integrated circuit (IC) semiconductor wafer containing Cu wiring embedded therein; (b) forming terminal via openings through said passivating layer to expose said Cu wiring; (c) forming a barrier layer at least over said exposed Cu wiring, on the side walls of said terminal via openings and on regions of said barrier layer near said terminal via openings; (d) forming an Al stack on said barrier layer at least in said terminal via openings and on regions of the barrier layer near said terminal via openings; (e) patterning and etching said Al stack and said barrier layer; (f) forming a second passivating layer over said patterned Al stack; and (g) providing second openings in said second passivating layer so as to expose regions of said patterned Al stack located on top of said Cu wiring whereby said Cu wiring is protected from environmental exposure or attack by etching chemistries and from the problem of Cu—Al intermixing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 wherein in step (g), the second openings are provided in said second passivating layer so as to expose regions of said patterned Al stack not located on top of said Cu wiring.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising forming an electrical interconnection with a semiconductor package.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said electrical interconnection includes wirebonding or C4 solder.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 2 further comprising forming an electrical interconnection with a semiconductor package.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 5 wherein said electrical interconnection includes wirebonding or C4 solder.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said IC semiconductor wafer includes IC device regions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said IC semiconductor wafer comprises SiO 2 , diamond-like carbon, Si, Ge, GaAs, GaP, InAs or InP.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 8 wherein said IC semiconductor wafer comprises Si.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said passivating layer comprises SiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 or combinations thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 10 wherein said passivating layer comprises SiO 2 /Si 3 N 4 or Si 3 N 4 /SiO 2 /Si 3 N 4 .
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said barrier layer comprises TaN, TiN, Cr, Ta, W, Ti or combinations thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 12 wherein said barrier layer comprises TaN.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said Al stack comprises a plu rality of metallic layers in which the outermost layer contains Al or an alloy of Al.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 14 wherein said Al stack is Ti/TiN/AlCu, Ti/AlCu/TiN, Ti/Al/TiN, Ti/Al/TiN, Ti/TiN/AlCuSi/TiN or Ti/AlCuSi.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said second passivating layer is an organic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyimides and polysiloxanes.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said second passivating layer is a polyimide.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said second passivating layer is an inorganic material selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 /SiO 2 /Si 3 N 4 and Si 3 N 4 /SiO 2 /Si 3 N 4 .
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said second passivating layer is a combination of an organic polymer and an inorganic material.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4495222A
Cited
US4761386A
Cited
US4933305A
Cited
US5403777A
Cited
US5284797A
Cited
US5350488A
Cited
US5416278A
Cited
US5384284A
Cited
US5567654A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-02-13 | 2004-08-14 | 2005-02-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-02-13 | 2008-08-14 | 2009-02-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-02-13 | 2012-08-14 | 2013-02-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |